Place: Reviews & Ratings

Went here last night with the wife and two other couples. It was Saturday night and was packed so we had to wait about a half hour to be seated. Cozy with British regalia everywhere on the walls. Great selection of brews on tap. I got the Old Speckled Hen, my wife a Newcastle and our friends Murphey's stout. Like others have stated service is SLOW but the beers are fresh and good and servers are friendly and accomidating. I've never had British food but ended up getting the bangers and mash which I must say is EXCELLENT! A bit pricey and slow service but the beer selection and food are well worth the inconvenience. Looking forward to going again. (654 characters)

Went here on 10/27 with DoubleJ after the Black Tuesday line turned into a nightmare. Very small coming in, but cozy with lots of British regalia around. Has an Old World charm.

Had a Fuller's London Pride which was always good. For dinner I had Steak and Kidney pie which was tasty and had the Spotted Dick for dessert, suet pudding with custard. Prices are fine.

Service was a little slow at times, took a while to get our beers, but in the end not too bad, solid, nothing special. A good restaurant in Fullerton, I'll be back again to try the other British fare. (568 characters)

The Olde Ship is a great place to relax, have a meal and hang out for a while.

The beer and food selection is traditional British pub offerings, often served by a Brit. I hit up the Santa Ana location more often than Fullerton. Santa Ana is MUCH larger and has a few more offerings than Fullerton: I believe Old Speckled Hen and the Belhaven Twisted Thistle are only offered at Santa Ana.

I'm not a huge fan of the food but without the traditional food, the Olde Ship wouldn't have the same charm. Scotch eggs anyone? The one exception is the sticky toffee pudding. It's seriously one of the best desserts ever.

Service is often slow, but again, that kind of fits in with the charm of the place. Everyone is always nice.

Santa Ana has great jazz or oldies rock bands every Friday and Saturday night and I often find myself sitting there for 2 hours or more.

The Olde Ship is not cheap. My wife and I usually do $75 between us and if we're with another couple who drink, the four of us can easily break $200. (1,012 characters)

Just north of downtown Fullerton, The Olde Ship brings a different beat to the Fullerton bar scene. It's British themed with newspapers from England available to read, food which they admit is purchased from a British grocery store, British visuals around the bar, and not suprisingly, British beer. The latter is what brought me here.

Me and a few friends sat down at a table around dinner time. We just ordered a round of beers and it took longer thean expected to get my Imperial Pint of Fuller's ESB. From my three visiits, service tends to be slow, so be patient. About 20 beers are available on draft, many of which you won't find at many places (Young's Oatmeal Stout, Belhaven IPA, Old Speckled Hen). I didn't try the food since I had already ate, but the food other diners were eating looked really good.

Note that their beers are served in IMPERIAL pints (half-pints are available too). It means you get about 20 ounces instead of 16. However, it comes at a price, literally. It cost me $6.50 for that pint.

(Update 6/13/08: Although I was a little critical on the service, I got my food quicker than I was expecting, so props for that. Also, my plate of bangers and mash were great. Try it out if you get the chance.) (1,233 characters)

I was there on a midweek night, so there really weren't a whole lot of people there. The atmosphere is very homey, and what I may expect a real british pub/restaurant to feel like (never been to England). The beer selection is Ok (Fuller's, Bass, Guinness, Harp, Smithwicks, Old Speckled Hen, Boddington's) and they know how to serve a pint here. My glass of Abbot Ale looked amazing, and didn't taste all that bad either. The fish & chips were the best I've ever had, and the service was right on. Nothing bad to really say about this place that I can tell. (558 characters)

As a Fullerton local I have been going to the Ship for about 10 years. I agree with some of the comments made about a great atmosphere with good locals, welcoming staff, a conversation friendly ambiance, and most importantly a WELL POURED PINT!!! They pour beautiful pints here. Sadly they changed out Young's SLA a while ago for Shitwicks. But with Young's choclate, Abbey Ale, Belhaven, and McEwan's Export, as well as some of the other standards, you'll find a great ale to imbibe.
Some recent good and bad news. The bad news is that the owner Doug has sadly passed away. He was a regular presence here known by all of the locals, and the place will not be the same without him. His son, who is also a regular presence will, I'm sure, continue to make the Ship a draw. We are all sad for their loss. The good news is that before Doug's untimely departure he brought back the best bartender to ever grace the Ship--Danny (the Leprauchan). Danny worked at the Ship in years past, and his departure was sorely missed. We are elated to have him back!
The Ship is not just a place for a pint. The food is excellent!!! I love the Bridie, the fish & chips, as well as many other dishes. For dessert, the Fruit of the Forest pie (a la mode) is deliscious. If you are in the Fullerton area, the Ship is a must visit. (1,313 characters)

The Olde Ship is the place I go when I want a good pint of english beer poured right and good conversation with some locals. I usually sit at the bar or in the main room and order myself a pint of Tenents or John Courage. Their fish and chips are the best in the area and I really enjoy their shrimp curry. The food is standard Brittish fare, so just remember that the desserts aren't sweet, the peas are not crisp and the curry is English Indian and not Indian Indian.

They have a good selection of English beers. Their Santa Ana location has a few more, but you are not really missing too much by going to Fullerton instead of Santa Ana.

The wait staff is very friendly and good at what they do. Your glass is never empty and they are very attentive when it comes to making sure you are satisfied with every part of your visit. I do enjoy going here because the music is not blasting and you can actually have a conversation with someone. The locals are great and usually very friendly. I would say this is a great spot to hit up if you want some great Brittish food and a good beer. (1,091 characters)

went today (tuesday) for lunch.
pretty easy to find right on the main drag, harbor blvd. you can park out front if available, or on the side streets nearby.

lighting is definitely on the dark side, despite the plentiful christmas lights along the ceiling inside. this does, along with all the dark wood and carpet, give it a warm feeling. and the music rocks!! low volume, but ac/dc, hendrix, and heaps more 60's and 70's rock. kick ass!

the inside is basically split into two main rooms. dining on the left and the bar on the right. about four tables and eight boths in the dining area. maybe 10 spots at the bar with a few more tables.the dining area was at about half capacity when my wife and i arrived, and just one waiter doing a good job of giving us an equal share of his time. you know, enough attention, but not too much either.

selection is pretty much as found on their web site. the taps are along the back wall behind the bar, and with the low lighting made it tough for me to do a quick scan for anything extra-ordinary. i ordered a london pride, and esb. both were good. served a bit on the cold side, but nothing like you would find with a macro at most bar/restaurants.

food was good, and there was lots of it. my wife had the soup (clam chowder) and salad, and i had the burger (yes, very american of me at an english pub). the chowder was fair, but i have to give credit for the burger. i could barely finish it.
other than that, the menu is also on the website, and has a pretty good veriety of english food.

the place isnt sparkling clean, but it makes you feel comfortable. value i marked due to mostly the price of the beer. $5.50 a pint. not outrageous, but more than you would expect. the food though, was pretty cheap for the amount and taste. nice find in good old fullerton. (1,823 characters)

Well I go to school around the corner at CSUF so I have been trying to make it a point to come down for a pint or two or three or four. The decor alone made me an instant fan. Low lighting cozy feeling. Best of all is that there is no TV and the music is played low. I was actually able to maintain a conversation without sayin "huh". It is sad that I must comment on this attribute but one must admit that most bars are not chat freindly. The few Brit beers they have on tap were excellent. I must admit I was a bit disapointed that they did not have Tetleys but oh well, the Pedigree was perfect. All and all a classy joint that will be graced by my presence very soon. (671 characters)

The bum (previous review) gave a pretty good run down on the beers and ales to be had. There are many foreign and unfamiliar liquors too. I can add that the beer engine handles are non functional unless they can be released from the bar to clobber some no tip drunk.
That said, the food is terrific! I was hooked on the fish and chips for years. I have only recently ventured out on the menu. The Scotch Brity (spelling?) is a beef pot pie type of dish that really hits the spot. The chicken pie is also a favorite. Meatloaf will challenge mom's. On certain Saturdays they serve a beef Wellington (the impetus for this post). If it is on the board do not make the mistake of passing on it. Bellhaven was a beatiful partner for this well prepared dish.
There is plenty of parking. At worst, a half block walk separates you from the pub. If you just finished paying a fine at North Court, this is a convenient and close place to forget about it. (946 characters)

The President of the company that I work for in the USA is a fellow Ex-Pat, but he moved out here from England well over 20 years ago. We have much in common; a love of Association Football, Rugby, English Cricket, the BBC, drinking lots of English Tea & Beer, spelling the word Tire with a y and thinking that David Beckham is a brain-dead ponce.

So at the end of a particularly difficult year, there was a mutual decision to head out for some good old English fare, some English beer, some fellow Limey company and forget all about that boring business shite. We ended up here.

There are actually two Olde Ships, the other is in Santa Ana (a fleet of Pubs rather than a chain?), having been to both, I much prefer this one by far, for it has much more character & atmosphere. It is relatively easy to find, but it is difficult to park here at busy times. There is parking available at the rear but it is always full when I have been here, so I usually hit nearby side streets.

A single story building with a weathered looking Union Jack flying at 45°, and a small dark brown awning with some xmas fairy lights, the dark wood door leads you right into the heart of the bar area which is immediately in front of you. Lots of dark wood, thick carpets, a welcoming warmth and English bric-à-brac adorns the walls.

As you enter, if its busy (like it almost always is) it can feel cramped in the bar area, but I was served almost immediately which was very impressive. The air was thick was real English & American poser accents (this is Fullerton!). The bar is L-shaped and runs to your right as you enter. There are something like 20 beers on Tap here, including; Green King Abbot Ale, Boddingtons Ale, Fullers ESB  London Pride & Porter, Youngs Oatmeal Stout & Double Chocolate Stout, Courage, Marstons Pedigree, Newcastle Brown and even Hobgoblin beer (which I actually detest but have never seen before in the US). Two Angram Handpumps were clearly evident but seemed unused on my last visit. In addition, there are some Scottish beers such as Belhaven, Tennants Lager and McEwans Export, as well as Irish offerings from Guinness, Murphys and Beamish from Cork. Willy Wankers, Jessies and the Welsh can drink Fosters, Harp or Stella. Sells Blackthorn Cider also which is quite rare in these parts

The Food here is absolutely "Top-Notch" English fare - just like home. We waited for a Table in the area that is to your left as you enter, an area that has many cubicles, booths and open tables, but it is nevertheless a very cozy area that offers some privacy to parties that are ingesting. All the food is very English and has the appropriate prefixes in the Menu, but the Churchills Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding is *fucking excellent*, the Ploughmans is great also and the Curry is awesome. The 5.0 Mark is for English fare! No French Fries here - this place sells Scotch Eggs, HP Brown Sauce & 'proper' Chips!!! If you want a Burger fuck off to McDonald's loser.